Obituary of Gilbert A Palmer

Gilbert A. Palmer, 91, passed away quietly, early in the morning of February 12, 2016 at the Presbyterian Home in New Hartford, NY. Born September 6, 1924, in Yorktown Heights, NY, son of Hallsey Roy and Lulu Minshel Palmer, he graduated from Yorktown Heights High School. He received his Bachelors of Science in Math from St. Lawrence University and took a job as an actuarial for an insurance company in NYC. After 7 years at actuarial work, he spent 2 years earning his Master's Degree in Education at the Teacher's College of Columbia University. He became an associate professor of math at SUNY Geneseo College from 1958-1987 and was a founder and first director of the Math Learning Center at SUNY Geneseo – a peer tutoring program for students at the college. Midway through his teaching career, Gil took off 2 years to earn a doctorate's degree at the University of Rochester with a one year all expenses paid grant from the National Science Foundation and one year sabbatical to accomplish his goal. Gil married the love of his life, Jane Barton, in 1949. During their 37 years in Geneseo, they became active in the Central Presbyterian Church where Gil served as an Elder and Jane as a Deacon. In 1993, they built a home in the Tara Golf & Country Club in Bradenton, FL and moved down full time. They transferred their church membership to Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, FL. After Jane's death in 2006, her ashes were buried in Kirkwood's Memorial Garden next to the church. Gil donated an endowed scholarship to SUNY Geneseo in the name of Gilbert A. and Jane B. Palmer in Jane's memory. Gil's ashes will be buried next to his wife's in Kirkwood Memorial Garden in Bradenton, FL. He was predeceased by his wife, Jane and two brothers, S. Roy and his wives Charlotte and Rita and H. Ralph and wife Barbara and sister-in-law Rede Aker. He is survived by his nieces Donna (Palmer) and Peter Goodfriend, Diane (Palmer) and Robert Grubb and Charlene (Palmer) and George Muldoon; nephews Douglas and Marsha Palmer, Keith and Alice Aker and Scott and Maureen Aker and brother-in-law John (Jack) Aker; several great and great-great nieces and nephews. Donations may be made to The Geneseo Foundation for an endowed scholarship in the name of Gilbert A. and Jane B. Palmer or The Stars in the Night Sky Program at the Presbyterian Home in New Hartford, NY. A memorial service will be held at 10am Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Stone Presbyterian Church in Clinton, NY.